Screen printing quote template: what to include before the customer says yes

Start with a quote that can become an order

A message that says “48 tees, $525” leaves several questions unanswered. Which garment? Which colors and sizes? Is the setup fee included? Which back artwork did the customer see? Those omissions do not disappear when the customer replies yes.

Use a quote number and revision number from the start. Keep the same customer and job reference through the approval process. If the specification changes, save a new revision instead of replacing the document that was already accepted. The downloadable template below is a manual starting point; it does not enforce version control by itself.

The fields worth keeping on one page

Keep internal costs separate from the customer-facing quote. The customer should be able to understand what they are buying without seeing your margin or internal production discussion.

For a documented software example, YoPrint’s quote guide includes customer details, products, sizes, quantities, services and print locations. It also separates mockups from production files. These are concrete examples of information an order may need, not a universal mandatory template. [1]

Worked example: 48 shirts become 54

These numbers are synthetic examples, not suggested industry rates. Suppose the customer orders S 12, M 24 and L 12. At an entered selling price of $10 per garment and a $45 setup fee, revision A totals 48 × $10 + $45 = $525, before any separately agreed tax or shipping.

The customer then adds 6 XLs and changes the back artwork. If the shop confirms that the same unit price and setup fee still apply, revision B totals 54 × $10 + $45 = $585. The difference is six garments and $60. A new back design could also change setup work, colors or labor; do not automatically assume that only quantity affects the price.

Show the customer both changes: quantity 48 → 54 and back proof A → B. Ask them to approve the complete new revision. A previous yes to revision A is not a yes to revision B.

Separate a price estimate from a promise

A calculation is not confirmation of blank availability or a production slot. Check supply, the work required for the artwork and your delivery commitment before issuing a final quote. If you must make an assumption, state it in the quote rather than leaving the customer to discover it later.

The free calculator can help with arithmetic using your own inputs. Its markup calculation is not a guarantee of profit and does not determine your shop’s labor costs, spoilage or tax treatment.

YoPrint documents two ways to present setup fees: a separate fee line or distribution through unit pricing. Our example uses a separate setup fee for clarity; its dollar amounts are synthetic, not prices taken from that source. [2]

A short pre-send check

Before sending the quote, ask someone to read it as if they were the customer. Could they identify the exact garment and back proof without opening an unrelated email thread?

• The size rows add up to the quoted quantity.
• Each required print position has a proof reference.
• The price, included charges and exclusions are clear.
• The promised date has been checked by the shop.
• The revision number is visible on the quote and proofs.
• The customer has a clear approve-or-request-changes action.

Build a mixed-garment quote without hiding the differences

A customer may describe a job as “team clothing” even when it contains two products. Separate the garments before doing the arithmetic. A black tee and an ivory hoodie can use the same design, yet still have different blank costs, print surfaces, size ranges and selling prices. A single averaged price makes later changes harder to explain.

For a synthetic example, enter 24 black tees at $12 each and 6 ivory hoodies at $30 each. The garment lines total $288 + $180 = $468. If the agreed one-time setup fee is $45, the quote is $513 before any separately stated tax or shipping. This is a demonstration of line arithmetic, not a recommendation for what either garment should cost.

If the customer removes two hoodies, amend that line to four hoodies: $288 + $120 + $45 = $453. Do not remove two units from an undifferentiated total of 30 pieces. The customer needs to see which product changed; the person packing the order needs the remaining tee and hoodie quantities separately.

Write exclusions as decisions the customer can understand

“Extras may apply” is difficult to act on. Replace it with the specific unresolved decision: whether the customer supplies the blanks, whether a second print location is included, whether artwork cleanup is a separate service, and whether delivery has been quoted. Where an amount is unknown, mark it as pending instead of quietly entering zero.

For customer-supplied clothing, record what is expected to arrive, who checks it and what happens if items are missing or unsuitable. Agree the handling of shortages and replacements with the customer before accepting the job. The template can record that agreement; it cannot decide the appropriate commercial terms for your shop.

Keep the customer’s promised date separate from an internal production target. If artwork approval or garment supply is still pending, explain that dependency in plain language. A convenient date in a spreadsheet is not evidence that a supplier or operator has committed to it.

Send a revision message that makes the decision easy

A revision email should not make the customer compare a folder of attachments. Name the new revision, summarize the changed fields, state the revised total and date, and link or attach the complete replacement quote with its matching proof. Keep the old record internally, clearly marked as superseded.

Example wording for the 48-to-54 case: “Revision B adds six XL shirts and replaces the back design with proof B. The revised total is $585 before the separately stated charges. Please review the complete quote and both print positions, then approve revision B or send changes.” Use this only after your own price and timing checks; it is sample wording, not an approval you can record on the customer’s behalf.

A customer asking a question is not the same as accepting the revision. Resolve the question, update the document if needed, and ask for an explicit response to the version that will be used. When the job moves to the floor, the work ticket should point to that same version rather than merely the newest file in a download folder.

From a template to a repeatable workflow

A printable template is useful when you handle occasional quotes or want to test a clearer process. Its limitation is manual coordination: someone must preserve revisions, match attachments and keep the production ticket current.

PrintLatch saves quote and artwork revisions together, requires explicit approval and releases the approved specification to production. Start with one order and compare the complete handling effort with your current method. The software does not replace artwork preflight, supplier checks or your accounting system.